COP26 not engaging with many Britons

Close to half the population of the United Kingdom has heard little or nothing of the upcoming United Nations' COP26 climate change conference, according to new polling.

And a survey also shows UK residents want to see action on climate change, but are reluctant to make emissions-saving lifestyle changes, such as eating less meat.

World leaders will gather in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday for the most important series of international negotiations on climate change action in half a decade. But one survey shows a majority of Brits are unsure of whether COP26 will deliver practical change, and, for some, the conference is not even on their radar.

The poll, conducted this week by the YouGov-Cambridge Center for Public Opinion, found that while 49 percent of Britons had seen or heard "a great deal" or "a fair amount "about the conference, 47 percent had heard "not very much" or "nothing at all", with 3 percent unsure of how to answer.

"As the impacts of climate change are starting to be felt everywhere, COP26 should be seen as a vital summit where the world must deliver immediate and meaningful climate action," said Emily Shuckburgh, director of Cambridge Zero.

But Shuckburgh said the bad news is that many people have still "barely noticed that the world leaders who can actually take the actions needed will be in our own backyard."

Some 40 percent of respondents said COP26 is unlikely to result in practical action to tackle climate change.

Only 34 percent said they believe the conference offers the chance for world leaders to take effective measures.

Another recent poll conducted by YouGov-Cambridge, of seven European countries including the UK, found that, while Europeans want to see government action on climate change, most are unwilling to make lifestyle changes that will reduce their personal carbon footprint.

Less than a fifth of Britons, Germans, Danes, and Swedes say they have reduced meat consumption in the last 12 months, while 20 percent of Italians, 22 percent of French people, and 30 percent of Spanish respondents had cut down.

In the average UK resident's carbon footprint, emissions from food and drink consumption are comparable to travel emissions, according to Lancaster University research, and reducing dietary meat, especially from ruminants, is considered one of the most effective ways to cut down on personal CO2 contributions.

The Cambridge pollsters said attitudes toward environmental action at the policy level presented a "mixed bag".

In nearly every country, large numbers of people supported expanding government investment in renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and tidal power. But in other areas, such as bans on the sale of petrol or diesel vehicles, or a frequent flyer tax, "public support is tentative and variable".

"The good news for COP26 organizers is that in every country surveyed, the vast majority are on board with the program, at least in principle," said Joel Rogers de Waal, academic director of YouGov. "In each national sample, most agreed that climate change is a genuine phenomenon and a considerable concern, and rejected the idea that its seriousness is being exaggerated."